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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27212233">Replaced.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hey_J/pseuds/Flute_Anon'>Flute_Anon (Hey_J)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>No Straight Roads (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Angst, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:29:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,992</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27212233</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hey_J/pseuds/Flute_Anon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Neon J is a respected member of NSR, and even more so his manufacturing company, J-1, where most of NSR's security robots are made. however, J-1 focuses on the future and progression, and if there are any road blocks to that, that might give a bad name to J-1's word.<br/>Those road blocks are nothing more than weeds, and weeds must be pulled apart from the ground, replaced with pretty seeds where more life can grow and progress.<br/>Sadly, what once was the honored founder of the company has become nothing more than a weed, and weeds need to be replaced.</p>
<p>When Neon is left to die, betrayed by his own friends and company, he still manages to survive. only to come to the horrific realization that his entire life was replaced by a perfect copy of himself, a robotic shell designed to replace everything Neon was and perfect everything Neon wasn't.<br/>Forced to make friends with a former foe, with the future ahead of him uncertain, Neon tries to get his former life back..even with the lingering chance of his death.</p>
<p>Please go check out Replaced's carrd for more info -&gt; https://r3placed.carrd.co/#</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>ack - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Wakey Wakey</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>OH WOW POG I GOT AN ACC. Hey if youre coming from scrapped records you know how I said it's over for y'all? Yeah it's frickin over for yall. I have a villian here that's so much worse than Kliff and so much more petty and a dick yall best wait,,,,<br/>I'll probably try to format the text better, but yeah.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>WHAM<br/>Neon was woken to a sharp pain to the top of his head, searing through his blood as his world was covered in a daze, only being able to notice a figure standing above him.<br/>“Huh...okay, well the wrench works.”<br/>His system was desperately trying to take in the new surroundings, he knew he was still in Vinyl City, the signals from the Metro District still at a point where he could sense them. The world swirled and soon began to clear, and Neon could somewhat make out the figure’s appearance, but not quite.<br/>“Yoo-hoo, cyborg? Neon?” a hand waved in his face, and Neon somewhat recoiled back in response. “Okay, yeah, you’re alive, good... I thought you wouldn’t live till last hour, but this city is full of surprises, isn’t it?” Neon finally got a good look at the figure above him. Red scraggly hair, square glasses…a purple scarf hiding his neck...<br/>Oh.<br/>“KLIFF!” Neon yelled, after the small incident with Bunk Bed Junction, Tatiana sat down with the artists and explained who Kliff was, and what Neon took in that Kliff was a threat that HAD to be eliminated, and now Kliff was just. Standing there. Neon struggled to pull himself up, reeling his hand back before throwing it straight towards Kliff’s face.</p>
<p>He was so, so close to knocking the man out cold, but the range of his punch was just a few inches short.<br/>
“That should’ve been perfectly calculated, what-?” Neon brought his arm back, only to realize his left hand was gone, he stumbled backward, before flopping down onto the floor.<br/>
“Hey hey! Careful, if you disconnect off those wires, you’re as good as dead...and not in a threatening way, I just need some information, alright?”<br/>
Neon looked back at Kliff, trying to spit at the man’s feet, “I’ll DIE before I give you any information.”<br/>
“No, no, not like that way, I’m just interested, in what uh...happened to you. I mean, I found you in a landfill for Pete’s sake,” Kliff grabbed a chair, pulling it over to Neon with a terrible screech, he sat on it while resting his hand on the top rail with a smug grin. “So, what was it that landed you in that landfill, hm? Found some secret about NSR? 1010 didn’t want you as your daaaaaaaaaad anymore? I’m betting on it being the former, the look on Tatiana’s face that’ll be when I hack into screens all over Vinyl City and- “</p>
<p>Neon cancelled his noise sensors, focusing on what did happen. His manufacturing company, J-1...it was in their main building...he was talking with Indrid, Indrid was his secretary, right? His mind was swarmed with the memory that it was overwhelming just to focus on one bit of info.<br/>
They were talking about how the repairs of the Flying Factory were going.<br/>
And then he...<br/>
“Indrid.” Neon whispered under his false breath with a snarl.<br/>
“Huh, what was that?” Kliff broke off of saying his devious plans, his eyes gleamed with a sudden interest. “Indrid? You said Indrid? Isn’t Indrid like your secretary or something? I think I read it on J-1’s page while doing research.”<br/>
“Yes, he’s my secretary, and- “Neon froze,” WAIT! I’m sharing this information with YOU, WHY AM I SHARING THIS WITH-“<br/>
“Shhhh….there’s other people in this apartment building,” Kliff got off his chair and put a finger on Neon’s screen, still carrying his grin, “You’ll wake up the rats,” he pat Neon’s shoulder, swiftly going back to the chair as Neon swatted at him. “Woah, woah, you know what? I’ll leave you here for a moment, you REALLY need clothes, new ones at least, I don’t know any from mine that would fit you though...eh, I’ll look regardless, have FUN!” Kliff ran over to the exit, his voice sounded like he was in a hurry.</p>
<p>Neon sighed, shifting uncomfortably in the wires that somehow limited his movement, he tried to get a better look at the room. It was dark, merely lit by a few small candles, but Neon soon noticed the shape of a remote, and then a TV in the distance. His radar pinged with interest, raising his leg and kicking the couch the remote rested on, sending the remote flying off the couch to a distance where Neon could catch it with his right hand. Neon wasn’t right-handed, but he was forced to hold it that way regardless, he shifted his thumb around up until he found the power button. The tv lit up, before switching to a news channel.<br/>
It was something about 1010.<br/>
Was it about him missing? Would someone come and find him…his hand turned into a grasp, he felt lightheaded, desperate to see what would happen.<br/>
And then, on the screen.<br/>
It was...him.<br/>
Not like him now, but him, on the screen, talking as if he WAS there. Speaking his tone, speaking and moving exactly how he did. But if this was real time...and he was here...<br/>
He froze, but he could feel his body convulse, he held himself up as his body moved back and forth, dry heaving. But he didn’t have a mouth, the feeling was uncomfortable to a point of agony, an agony that Neon couldn’t just repress or shake off. He looked back up, but he couldn’t understand it, he couldn’t comprehend it, why- This…<br/>
They replaced him. J-1 replaced him. Was he ever something to the friends he made due to the creation of his company? Were they waiting for this moment? Did they consider him nothing more than property…? HOW did they even do it?<br/>
The more he thought, the more he wanted to scream, scream into a room where no one would hear it, no one that would aid him anyways. He shook his head, trying to shake it all away, but he still couldn’t, he collapsed onto the floor and curled into a fetal position, and didn’t even sob; all he could do was zone out, the world of both reality and his mind becoming nothing more than just a blur. He didn’t have the energy to cry...or think…or scream, his body soon splayed out, he just gave up...<br/>
“Hey, I maay had found some- ooh boy...” Kliff looked down at Neon with a widened stare, but then to the powered TV, staring at it for a brief moment, ”I may had gotten the wrong TV head…or..” but then his attention switched back to Neon, disconnected from the reality he was just given. “I would ask but I assume you’re not okay...” he only let out an annoyed sigh, walking towards the couch and snatching the blanket off of it, before dropping it onto Neon.<br/>
“I doubt I can even help you, so...let’s cut off TV time for now...”  Kliff crouched to grab the remote from the floor before turning off the TV. He grabbed another blanket, somewhat struggling to hold it before dropping the second one on Neon. He crossed his arms as he made his way out of the living room.<br/>
“Just. Don’t shut yourself down while you’re at it, alright? Alright.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Place.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Neon unknowingly invites an unwanted guest.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So, they just abandoned you, huh?” Kliff sat down and crossed his legs, taking a sip of water from the plastic cup he was carrying. “…Replaced and all that?”<br/>Neon kept the heavy blanket tightly around his body, nodding slowly as he hesitated to give Kliff an answer. He was so tired, he just wanted to collapse again in the hopes that he MAY pull a wire and shut off for good.<br/>“Oof, that’s rough- “Kliff broke out in a cackle, but then tried to hold it all in. “I wouldn’t think that NSR would betray one of their most loyal dogs like that, but here we are!”<br/>“It wasn’t...NS...R” Neon struggled just to speak, too exhausted from the minor actions he did to take offense to Kliff’s sneering. He put the weighted blanket over the top of his head, trying to find some form of comfort in the outside world, to keep himself from feeling the looming dread that was inside.<br/>“Oh yeah, just J-1, my bad. But really, your secretary was the one who nearly killed you? I’m sure you trusted someone enough to become your assistant, someone you trusted, only for them just to...betray you like that!” Kliff gave out a small chortle.<br/>“I’m not helping you,” Neon replied bluntly, looking at Kliff dead in the eye. By god did he want to wrap his arm around this bastard and strangle him to death.<br/>“Alright, be like that then, but an honest thoughtful question here, can you walk? Or get up at all?” Kliff sat up in a crouch, clasping his hands together. “...I mean, you should at least try. How about I- “Kliff gave out a hand.<br/>“I don’t need your help, darn it!” Neon harshly smacked Kliff’s hand away, why in the ever loving frick was Kliff being so nice to him? This didn’t make sense, none of this made sense! “…Although I do doubt, I can get up.”<br/>“Hmm...alright, here...allow me to just…” Kliff pulled the chair to Neon’s grabbing range, “If you want to try without my help, that is.”<br/>Ding Dong!</p>
<p>Kliff turned around, “Now, who could that be?” He stood up, carefully approaching the door. He slowly opened it, before looking down,” Oh look, a- “<br/>“HELP ME!” Neon screamed, “PLEASE, PLEASE!” He somehow cringed a little from the screaming, unable to explain why seeming so vulnerable was so embarrassing to himself. “Please...”<br/>Kliff opened his mouth to say something, but he was completely thrown across the room, slamming violently into the wall and going completely limp. From the open doorway came a security robot, their crimson sheen glittering against the sunlit door, a passage to freedom, seeing the NSR logo made Neon almost cry with relief. Was this nightmare already over...? Was it.<br/>It couldn’t be, right?<br/>But maybe it was, maybe it was already over, maybe they knew he was replaced, maybe...<br/>Whiiiirrrrrrr<br/>As the robot approached, one of their arms turned into a drill, they reeled the drill back before they attempted to stab it into Neon’s chest. Neon let out a yelp as he rolled over and dodged, pain searing through his back as the wires he was hooked up to detached, leaving small bleeding holes in his back. He desperately crawled towards the corner, holding up his only hand as a last form of defense, a pathetic one...<br/>The mechanical screech of the drill edged closer and closer, an audible noise of death, the last thing Neon would’ve heard. He wouldn’t die fighting though, he would die a coward, a weak...helpless...coward. He looked down in defeat, this was it.<br/>But his radar pinged once more as a figure stood behind the robot, holding a bat.<br/>BAM. BAM. BAM.<br/>The figure beat down the robot, the first hit left a dent, the second caused the robot to fall over, and the third caused the robot to go completely limp, some equivalent to being dead. Neon slowly peered up, only to see that that figure was...Kliff. Kliff. Kliff was the one to save him. “…You- you set this up, didn’t you?”<br/>“What, no? This entire thing would probably take me a week AT LEAST, and I found you yesterday,” Kliff rested the bat at his side. “Now, see, my own question is how did that robot even find you? You don’t have like, uh, a tracker or anything in your arm like the movies, right?”<br/>“…”<br/>“You have a tracker, don’t you?”<br/>Neon nodded along like a child caught in the act, “I have one in my right arm but,” He knocked his left arm against his right. “It doesn’t appear I have the hands to remove it.”<br/>“Oh! Oh! Then let me do it!” Kliff’s eyes lit up, “I mean, I have tools and- “<br/>“No,” Neon instantly turned down Kliff.<br/>Kliff sighed, seeming done with Neon,” Look, cyborg, you know what that robot was trying to do to you, right? It was going to kill you, J-1, they WANT you dead, and NSR wants ME dead, and to be honest, with what they’re sending, it’s sorta interchangeable. So y’know, we’re kinda in the same boat? And you are, MILES ahead of me when it comes to physical power, and I have two arms, we need each other right now.”<br/>“I don’t need you, Kliff.”<br/>“You would’ve just died without me!” Kliff flew his hands around, baffled at Neon’s words. “Come on, just let me get the tracker out. Do with me what you want once you get J-1 back but we could both seriously benefit from this. Stop being a loyal dog who just follows orders, don’t you want to go apeshit?” Kliff gave out a weak smile, he seemed as if he were begging Neon.<br/>Neon gave out a tired sigh, and gave out his arm, “Fine. But once this is done and over, you leave NSR and Viny City alone, do you understand this? And if I see you set foot in this city again, I’ll make your death slow as the day, especially if you lay a gosh-darn hand on Yinu or my Troops.”</p>
<p>“…. oooookay! Allow me to just get my tools!” Kliff sprinted out of the room, dropping his bat before coming back with a rusty toolbox. Neon was seriously going to die here, wasn’t he? He just shook his head and let out his arm, a small panel almost instantly flinging open to reveal a clash of tendons and flesh, both mechanical and organic, and in the center a small blue and beeping capsule. “…eugh,” Kliff stuck out his tongue in revulsion, “I was expecting a little more blood.”<br/>“Shut up.”<br/>“Okay, okay,” Kliff got out a pair of tweezers, carefully pushing the tweezers into the cyborg’s arm and grabbing the tracker, gently pulling it off as Neon stifled screaming from the pain he felt, but the pain soon subsided as he saw the capsule within the tweezer’s jaws, hints of blood coming from the bottom. Kliff dropped the tracker, and then crushed it into the ground. “Alright! Now what, I mean, now we just can’t stay here!”<br/>“I thought you were on the run; wouldn’t you have some form of backup incase this base was found out.”<br/>“Nope!”<br/>Neon gave out another sigh,” Alright…okay…fine,” Neon thought for a moment, and his radar pinged yet again, as if a lightbulb lit above his head.<br/>“...What?” Kliff tilted his head to the side.<br/>“I know a place!”</p>
<p>To Neon, that ‘place’ was agonizingly nostalgic.<br/>But it was a place.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Indrid</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Indrid. That's it.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>YO WE BACK IN BUISNESS</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Neon shuffled towards the bronze door, his left hand tightly gripped on his velvet umbrella. Rain roared and slammed against the sidewalk, wind cried as Neon just had to sit there through it all, waiting for the damn door to open. The light inside gave off a promising warmth, which truly was all Neon needed by this point.<br/>It had been two weeks since he had talked with Indrid, or just interacted with his company...at all. He was so busy with his troops, and he was forced to choose whether to focus on. So, to make it up to his assistant, he had planned a meeting for them, today, he just wasn’t expecting the sky to be against him at the moment.<br/>He didn’t even have to knock, his radar pinged as the door turned, and soon he was face to face with his secretary, Indrid. Indrid was one short person, his long hair went down to his lower chest, his eyes had severe darks under them, it seemed like he was about to pass out and die, but at the same time he also seemed better than ever. “Neon,” he said as a form of acknowledgment. “It’s been awhile, hm? I mean, you did choose to spend time with your boys so...I had to take care of your business, in your business. I guess you could say that I’m the CEO!” Indrid laughed, and so did Neon. Perhaps it was just how tired they both were to think that was funny. Indrid leaned a little against the door, allowing Neon an actual entrance inside.<br/>“I suppose you were the new CEO, hm?” Neon laughed,”…Ah, I’m greatly sorry Indrid. I had to keep my troops in order and-“<br/>Indrid placed a hand on Neon’s shoulder, “No, no, please!” he gave a friendly grin, “I understand, truly. It was only a few weeks, and a very not-wild one at that, all we had was to repair the Flying factory, definitely took a bit out of our pockets but, we’ll be sure to EASILY get it all back! Now, please, why don’t you come inside? How long have you been out there anyways?”<br/>Neon didn’t really respond, shuffling into Indrid’s house as he lowered his head a bit.<br/>“Don’t you remember when we first met, Neon? You were still running that old toy store of yours,” Indrid dug his hands into the pockets of his vest, his shoulder lessened their odd tension,”..Aaaand I had just gotten out of university. You know, if you ever wanna open up that store again, maybe use it for some 1010 merch, we can make quite the profit off-“<br/>“No, Indrid,” Neon turned to face his secretary, “I’d love to bring it back, but that part of my past is far, far, gone. I just have to focus on the future, eh?” Neon noticed Indrid mouth something, but thought nothing of it.<br/>…Indrid did like to talk to himself.<br/>“Okay! Well, I was going to ask if you’d like something to drink, but I forgot you don’t have a mouth,” Indrid tittered, crossing his arms as his smile weakened, his eyes gazing at the ground. The expression suddenly jumped to something more serious, straightening his posture “..Anyways, I suppose we should be talking about uh...important stuff, I suggest we split it into two parts, me giving a small update on the factory, and then tomorrow I’ll talk about something about eh…one of the board members.”<br/>“Indrid?”<br/>Indrid looked over to Neon, but the cyborg was completely frozen in place. <br/>“INDRID!”<br/>Indrid jumped awake, his arms rested on his desk as a chill ran through his spine, feeling a cold hand on his shoulder, he jolted around. <br/>“Why were you asleep?!” The man yelled,”You understand that if our replacement stays any longer here, NSR is going to get suspicious, and they’ll send inspectors, and-”<br/>“Yes! Yes! I understand!” Indrid put his hands on his head, digging them into his long hair as he blinked to rid the dirt from his eyes. “..Just, please stop yelling, I don’t know how long I’ve been out.” <br/>“Approximately an hour, Mx Indrid!” A robotic voice sounded through one of the speakers. <br/>“Thank you, Force,” Indrid huffed,”Look, the last few days have been harsh on all of us, sir. I lost my friend in the name of our company.”<br/>“We all have, Indrid,” The man put a hand on Indrid’s shoulder, before Indrid jolted his body away at the touch. “But you understand, it’s good for the co-”<br/>“Of course I know you headass!” Indrid cursed,”I was the one who brought up the idea anyways, stop acting like it just..came out of someone else’s mouth, you’re talking with the chairman, buddy!”<br/>“You’re still considered the CEO’s secretary-”<br/>“God, you get my fucking point, just leave! I’ll repair the replacement tonight, NSR won’t notice a thing, no one will.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Ben</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>NO THOUGHTS HEAD EM T</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kliff struggled a little as he kept Neon up, an arm wrapped around the other, the two marching in an almost unison. <br/>This part of the city was..peacefully quiet, besides the nearby EDM music playing...or at least that’s what Kliff probably saw it as, right? <br/>No, no, Neon was on alert, there should’ve been a car coming in south from a mile away, there were a group of stray cats in between two buildings they had just past, a bird flapped its wings and took off from a lengthy power line, and there were people in the apartment they just passed, 22 to be exact, hopefully 22, he could feel each heart beat, each sign of life that there should’ve been to sign there was something there, although that was hard to tell with...Kliff right beside him. <br/>His heart was racing, it ringed in Neon’s sensors. It was..possible it was out of stress? Or was this exercise to Kliff? ...Kliff didn’t seem.. physically powerful anyways. But then it let his mind wander, and it all led back to a single, goddamn question. Why was Kliff being so..nice to him? After EVERYTHING Kliff supposedly did, it felt out of character almost. Shouldn’t Neon have been hackable to him..? This, no this just didn’t make sense, there had to be something more than just..him and Kliff being almost in the same boat. <br/>“Hey, Neon, are you alright? You just froze and-”<br/>“I’m fine!” Neon snapped, the sounds were becoming more and more painful with each second, tightly holding onto the weighted blanket with his only hand as he tried to just..ignore it! But he couldn’t, why did he think that would help? <br/>“Alright, alright, jeez..” Kliff huffed, “We should be there soon, right?”<br/>Neon tried to look around without becoming overwhelmed, and then his attention turned to a slightly bent street light, oh...he did remember that, Indrid used to comment on it all the time, laughing away at just..the stupidity of it. “..Should be, let’s just..turn into the alleyway, it’d be better if we came in a little more less unnoticed..” Was he even making sense? What he just said just felt like a blur by this point. <br/>The turning passed, and Neon’s head went limp, the sounds were becoming less distant, but Kliff’s heartbeat was, quite obviously, still persistent, he should’ve been off alert mode, but this would be better in the long run, no matter how painful and agonizing it was to Neon’s sensors. His head then perked up as his radar pinged, and he stopped dead in his tracks, looking up towards a greyed out back door, he forced himself out of Kliff’s lock, throwing him the weighted blanket to try and open the door knob. <br/>Rustle, rustle, rustle <br/>Neon struggled as he tried to open the door,”Open! Open!” He attempted to pull the door knob, before he slipped, falling onto the ground with a small ‘oof’. He held the top corners of his head, and just barely stifled a scream. <br/>“..I have two bobby pins, let me do it,” Kliff tossed the weighted blanket back to Neon, pulling out two bobby pins from his scarf, nearly invisible in the darkness, but Neon noticed them being already bent to be a lever and pick, approaching the lock, he turned back to Neon before shaking his head and inserting the lever and pick, jostling it around. <br/>Neon hugged his knees, the sound was more agonizing than the last, pulling the blanket over him as he looked at the ground again. There wasn’t physical pain but there was just..pain? It hurt to listen, but he had to, he had to make sure they weren’t being followed, or hunted. Everything felt like it was happening at once, like he was about to self-destruct.<br/>But this was for the greater good, he just had to remind himself that. If J-1 could replace him, who else could they replace?<br/>It hurt so much, and he didn’t even know where he was hurting from.<br/>It was for the greater good. </p><p>“Neon?” Kliff murmured, and Neon instantly turned his head back up to face the man above him. “I..uh, opened the door, I really don’t want to mess with you, but you should go inside, y’know, I’m sure the garbage truck would mistake you for trash.” He put a hand over his mouth, trying to stifle laughter.<br/>“..Not..That wasn’t funny,” Neon grabbed the weighted blanket, resting it over his shoulder. <br/>“Oh c’mon, lighten up a lil’!” Attempting to put a hand on Neon’s other shoulder, Neon smacked it away. “...owieee.”<br/>“You deserved it,” Neon snapped, making his way inside. <br/>“Why did I deserve it, name one thing I did wrong!”<br/>“You sent the satellite crashing towards the NSR tower.”<br/>“And what did I do wrong TO YOU?” Kliff crossed his arms,”Name one thing I d-”<br/>“You probably sent Bunk Bed Junction to my boys, had them destroy my troops and my factory, and are probably the reason I’M even in this goddamned situation!” <br/>“I saved your l-” Kliff paused, and then stopped, realizing that wasn’t helping. <br/>Neon shook his head, looking around the inside, yes...this was the place. <br/>Flicking up a nearby switch, the room around them lit up in a soft yellow glow, illuminating up chester shelves lined with antique figurines. There were four tables, one of them making a near perfect model of an old Vinyl City. Neon sighed as a wave of nostalgia washed over him. He forgot how much he missed this place, children coming in daily, their eyes amazed with his crafts. He missed those moments, before the Border Wars happened, before Neon was like...this. Maybe after this was said and done, maybe he’d retire, just...maybe.<br/>“...Wow.” Kliff whispered under his breath,”How did you find this?” He turned to Neon, adjusting his scarf a little.<br/>“This used to be my toy store,” Neon looked down at his hand before making his way up the stairs.<br/>“Wait, wait, you owned a toy store? You just don’t seem like the guy to do that, y’know?” Kliff followed after the cyborg, being around 3.5 feet away from where Neon was. “You know, being a veteran of the Border Wars and all, doing something like this…”<br/>“So you’re saying just because of my experience in combat, I’m not allowed to run a toy store?” <br/>“Nonono, I’m not saying that, I’m just-”<br/>“I’m teasing you Kliff,” Neon looked down at his stub of a left arm,”Honestly, if I’m going to be stuck with you, it’s better to TRY and get used to you, but just used, nothing more than that. I’m not being friends with you, not after what you did.” <br/>“I suppose that’s understandable,” Kliff had come up the stairs, holding one of the newer figurines as he stared down with interest,”This is, surprisingly well made. I can only knit so...this, so wow?” His pupils dilated, and Neon turned around for a moment just to feel somewhat flattered by Kliff’s interest. Kliff went back downstairs, and Neon decided to just follow closely behind, just in case. <br/>“LOOK AT THIS!” Neon recoiled a little as he heard Kliff squeal like a child, running over he tried to see what Kliff was holding. Raised into the air was an unfinished figurine of Kul Fyra, Kliff had a huge grin across his face. “This is so coooool!” Neon tried to stifle small bits of laughter. “Why did you never finish this?! This is amazing, just, wow?!” <br/>“...It was a commission,” Neon huffed as he managed to shove down the urge to laugh. “I guess I never got around to finishing it.” <br/>“Could I...keep it?” Kliff was already putting the figurine in his scarf. <br/>“...Fine,” Neon went back upstairs, all the way to the third floor which was where his old bedroom was. A wave of exhaustion passing over him, not in that way, he was just tired with everything. His senses were less agonizing now, but simply...annoying. He tried covering his ears, forgetting that he didn’t have any. He just wanted to go to sleep and wake up in the mansion again, he wanted for this horrific nightmare to be over. He…<br/>He…</p><p>Shutting down. </p><p> </p><p>“Hello Benjamin!”<br/>Neon panicked, turning his body backwards to face the sudden voice. <br/>How did he get here? He didn’t know, he was in an endless white void, sitting face to face with...a cat? It looked like a siamese, but it was far enough that Neon was unable to identify it. Looking down at his hands, he noticed that his left hand had been restored, he was wearing his crimson turtleneck as well. <br/>“Before you ask an obvious question, I’m your subconscious, maybe? Who knows? Whatever it is, I’m you, and you’re asleep.” They wrapped their tail around their paws, their face lightening up as they grinned. “So, so, asleep. Deep enough to see me, actually.”<br/>“What, what the h-” <br/>“I don’t have a lot of time, so I’ll make this veryyyyy quick,” The cat padded closer to the cyborg. “Something horrible, HORRIBLE is going to happen to someone you love. It could be someone you love in the future, or someone you love now. I may be wrong, it’s not like...I can see into the future or anything.” Giving out a small ‘pfft’,”Maybe you should give up now? I’m sure regardless of what you do, you’ll be regarded as a criminal for siding with Kliff, defending him, SHELTERING him. It’s better to leave the city now and never look back. It seems 1010 is doing fine without you, why would they want to switch back to you when their new father is perfect in every way?”<br/>“No!” Neon put his hands on his heads,”I’m not going to su-” <br/>“Bup-Bup-Bup, it appears we’re running out of time, well, toodles! I hope you take my warning with...DEEP consideration.” <br/>Neon attempted to respond, but his voice was nothing more than a rasp, the world slowly becoming darker again as he desperately tried to cling onto this world.</p>
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